Consolidated appeal still severely underfunded

“Large numbers of civilians continue to be exposed to indiscriminate violence, looting and the destruction of property, including agriculture, in almost all parts of the country,” Annan’s report stated. Apart from access, the major constraint facing humanitarian operations was inadequate funding, he said, adding that the UN’s US $81 million consolidated appeal for the DRC had still not attracted even a quarter of the funding required. “The humanitarian community hopes that the deployment of UN military and civilian personnel will allow confidence to be restored sufficiently so that commercial routes (by rail, air and the Congo River) may be reopened,” Annan added.